Ilex plant named ‘HOGY’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Ilex  plant named ‘HOGY’, characterized by its compact, upright and outwardly spreading plant form; uniformly mounded habit; dense and bushy growth habit; yellowish green-colored leaves; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Ilex vomitoria.

Cultivar denomination: ‘HOGY’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Ilex,botanically known as Ilex vomitoria, commercially known as dwarf yauponholly and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘HOGY’.

The new Ilex is a naturally-occurring branch mutation of Ilex vomitoria‘Nana’, not patented. The new Ilex plant was discovered and selected bythe Inventor during the spring of 1992 from within a population ofplants of ‘Nana’ in a controlled outdoor nursery environment in Seneca,S.C.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by semi-hardwood and hardwoodstem cuttings in Seneca, S.C. since November, 1992 has shown that theunique features of this new Ilex plant are stable and reproduced true totype in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Ilex have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and/or light intensitywithout, however, any variance in genotype. The following traits havebeen repeatedly observed and are determined to be the uniquecharacteristics of ‘HOGY’. These characteristics in combinationdistinguish ‘HOGY’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Ilex:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and outwardly spreading plant form;        uniformly mounded habit.    -   2. Dense and bushy growth habit.    -   3. Yellowish green-colored leaves.    -   4. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Ilex can be compared to plants of the parent, ‘Nana’.Plants of the new Ilex differ from plants of ‘Nana’ in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Ilex are more compact than and not as        vigorous as plants of ‘Nana’.    -   2. Plants of the new Ilex are more uniformly mounded than plants        of ‘Nana’.    -   3. Plants of the new Ilex have yellow-colored leaves whereas        plants of ‘Nana’ have green-colored leaves.

Plants of the new Ilex can be compared to the plants of Ilex vomitoria‘Stokes Dwarf’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted inSeneca, S.C., plants of the new Ilex differed from plants of ‘StokesDwarf’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Ilex are not as vigorous as plants of        ‘Stokes Dwarf’.    -   2. Plants of the new Ilex have yellow-colored leaves whereas        plants of ‘Stokes Dwarf’ have green-colored leaves.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Ilex. These photographs show the colors as true as it isreasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color valuescited in the detailed botanical description, which accurately describethe colors of the new Ilex.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of atypical plant of ‘HOGY’ grown in an outdoor nursery.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of typical leavesof ‘HOGY’.

The photograph on the third sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowerof ‘HOGY’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown in Seneca, S.C. in an outdoor nurseryand under commercial production conditions. During the production of theplants, day temperatures ranged from −5° C. to 40° C. and nighttemperatures ranged from −18° C. to 35° C. Plants used for thephotographs and description had been growing for twelve years. In thefollowing description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Ilex vomitoria ‘HOGY’.-   Parentage: Naturally-occurring branch mutation of Ilex vomitoria    ‘Nana’, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By semi-hardwood and hardwood cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 30 to 45 days at            temperatures of 26° C. to 38° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 60 to 70 days at            temperatures of 16° C. to 21° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 80 to 90            days at temperatures of 26° C. to 38° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 120 to            150 days at temperatures of 16° C. to 21 ° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, moderately fibrous; close to 161D in            color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Perennial evergreen shrub;            compact upright and outwardly spreading plant form;            uniformly mounded habit.        -   Branching habit.—Freely branching habit; dense and bushy            growth habit with numerous lateral branches developing per            plant.        -   Plant height.—About 1.2 meters to 1.5 meters.        -   Plant diameter, area of spread.—About 1.8 meters to 2.1            meters.        -   Lateral branch description.—Length: About 1 cm to 4 cm.            Diameter: About 1 mm to 2 mm. Internode length: About 1.5 mm            to 9 mm. Strength: Strong, stiff. Texture: Puberulent.            Color, young stems: Close to 59A. Color, mature stems: Close            to 198A.        -   Foliage description: Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:            About 1 cm to 2.5 cm. Width: About 0.5 mm to 14 mm. Shape:            Ovate to elliptic. Apex: Rounded. Base: Obtuse. Margin:            Serrulate. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Texture, upper and            lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Developing leaves,            upper surface: Between N144B and 1B. Developing leaves,            lower surface: Close to 151D. Fully expanded leaves, upper            surface: Between 7A and 151B; midvein, close to 4B; lateral            veins, similar to lamina. Fully expanded leaves, lower            surface: Between 144B and 11A; venation, similar to lamina.            Petiole: Length: About 1 mm to 2.5 mm. Diameter: About 0.5            mm to 0.8 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Puberulent.            Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 59A.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower arrangement and appearance.—Single cruciform flowers            arranged in fascicles of three. Freely flowering habit;            about ten flowers develop per lateral branch.        -   Natural flowering season.—Plants of the new Ilex typically            flower during April and May in South Carolina.        -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last several days on            the plant; flowers persistent.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Flower diameter.—About 4 mm to 5 mm.        -   Flower depth.—About 2 mm to 3 mm.        -   Flower bud.—Length: About 1 mm to 2 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm            to 2 mm. Shape: Globular. Color: Close to 155C.        -   Petals.—Arrangement: Single cruciform flower form; single            whorl of four petals fused at the base. Length: About 1.5 mm            to 2 mm. Width: About 1 mm. Shape: Oblong. Apex: Rounded.            Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,            glabrous; waxy. Color: When opening and fully opened, upper            surface: Close to 155C. When opening and fully opened, lower            surface: Close to 155C.        -   Sepals.—Arrangement: Four fused in a single whorl; calyx,            campanulate. Length: About 0.7 mm. Width: About 0.9 mm.            Shape: Awl-shaped. Apex: Acute. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; waxy. Color: Immature, upper and            lower surfaces: Close to 145B. Mature, upper and lower            surfaces: Close to 145C.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 2.5 mm to 3 mm. Diameter: About 0.2            mm to 0.5 mm. Angle: About 45° to 80° from lateral branch            axis. Strength: Strong, flexible. Texture: Puberulent.            Color: Close to 145B.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Not male reproductive            structures observed. Gynoecium: Pistil length: About 1 mm to            1.5 mm. Stigma shape: Blunted. Stigma color: Close to 145B.            Style length: About 1 mm. Style color: Close to 145B. Ovary            color: Close to 145B.        -   Fruits.—Quantity per plant: About 75 to 100. Length: About 4            mm to 6 mm. Diameter: About 4 mm to 6 mm. Texture: Smooth,            glabrous. Color: Close to 42B.        -   Seeds.—Quantity per fruit: About four. Length: About 2.5 mm.            Diameter: About 5 mm to 6 mm. Color: Close to 150D.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Ilex have been observed to    have good garden performance and to be tolerant to rain, wind and    temperatures ranging from about −12° C. to about 45° C.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants have not been observed to be    resistant to pathogens and pests common to Ilex.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Ilex plant named ‘HOGY’ as illustratedand described.